Veteran journalist and head of interlocutors team on J&K
Dalip Padgoankar tried hard to defend their report, in a first ever
free public interaction on it, here on Saturday. He failed
miserably when he chose to keep mum on a commoner’s question, ‘what
recommendations in the report are in the interest of the
nation?’

While defending the report, though Padgaonkar claimed that he has
not ignored the issue of Kashmiri Pandits or refugees. He accepted
Islamic radicalization of youth in Kashmir is a fact but has not
found any place in the report. For the first time after the release
of interlocutors report to public on May 24 the head of
interlocutors team on J&K Dalip Padgoankar had offered himself
to a free public interaction at a seminar organised by India
Foundation at India International Centre.

The seminar was well attended by intellectuals
from across the country and many retired military officers. The
Opposition Leader in Rajya Sabha and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley
was the principal speaker in the seminar and four member panel of
speakers consisted of Dilip Padgoankar, BJP National Executive
Member and chief spokesman of J&K Dr Jitendra Singh and former
Union Minister Arif Mohammed Khan. The interaction was moderated by
BJP national spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman.
Addressing the seminar Mr Jaitley said that the entire problem of
Kashmir is because of faulty Nehruvian vision that has proved
costly for nation. He said that Kashmir is an unfinished agenda for
Pakistan and Government of India has run out of ideas which is
evident from the fact that the UPA Government under Dr Manmohan
Singh has been appointing Working Groups and interlocutors without
any fair policy.

Mr Jaitley was very critical of Justice Sageer Ahmed report which
according to him was prepared when Sageer Ahmed was ailing and
finally died after which the report was submitted to State
Government without placing it before the leaders who were the
members of the Working Group including him (Jaitley).

The BJP leader said that the cross border terrorism is an important
factor supporting militancy in J&K and it suits the separatist
leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani for whom their politics survives
only if Kashmir remains tense. He said the concessions can be made
to the common people and not to the separatists of Kashmir. He also
pointed out that the Kashmir issue might have not existed had
veteran freedom fighter and then Home Minister Sardar Patel not
been kept out from the scene. He said it was unfortunate that the
veteran leader was not given the charge to deal with J and K.

The most dangerous thing in the report is that they (interlocutors)
have diluted India’s stand on PoK by changing the nomenclature to
Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Jaitley said. It is legitimising
Pakistan's claim on the occupied territory, he said. He also
pointed out a number of similarities between the recommendations
made by the interlocutors and those suggested by former Pakistan
President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf talked about things like
joint administration and control and soft borders. This report also
touches on opening up the LoC for trade and tourism, he said. The
interlocutors' report would take the state back to its 1953
position and this was unacceptable, Jaitley reiterated.

Dr Jitendra Singh forthrightly questioned the psyche and intentions
of the interlocutors. He said, “we don’t look at J&K as a
dispute or an issue because our position is that J&K is very
much a part of Indian Union like any other state. We also reiterate
that those who look at J&K as a dispute or an issue are ones
who have a vested interest in keeping the Kashmir pot boiling and
projecting J&K as disputed for their personnel interests. There
is no dispute over J&K either historically or Constitutionally
particularly after the 1994 Parliament resolution stating that only
un addressed aspect of J&K is how to retrieve the PoK.

Dr Jitendra Singh said the accession of J&K with Indian Union
was never conditional and in fact ratified by J&K Assembly in
1954, which consisted of 75 MLAs from NC. The Constitution of
J&K applicable from 1957 states in Section 3 that J&K is an
integral part of India and there can be no amendment to that. He
said Kashmiriyat stands for composite culture and it can’t be
restored without the return of Kashmiri Pandits to Valley.

Arif Mohammed Khan said that from his
experience as a Minister during the Indira Gandhi’s regime he
understands that Kashmir has to be seen from wider perspective.
From last 30 years Pakistan and ISI has been working to destablise
the region in the name of religion, he added. Expressing his
concern on this he said that the issue of J&K requires a deeper
analysis and approach.
Defending the report submitted by the Interlocutors Dilip
Padgoankar claimed that false allegations are made that the report
is partisan. He referred to several pages of report to claim that
all the regions have been equal mention in the report. The
suggestions to review the provisions of post 1953 Indian
Constitution was not made with the intension of encouraging
separatist sentiment, he added. He said as of today whatever is the
locus standi the report has tried to give the best possible
suggestions on each aspect.

He said certain suggestions have been made about AFSPA but not
clearly recommended its revocation. In the question answer session
that followed several retired army officers were aggrieved at the
manner in which the issue of Army and AFSPA in J&K is being
handled.﻿﻿